Beauty and the Beast in London
by BlueShadows199
Summary: WARNING: Spoilers from The Maleficent Seven! What if Tanith hadn't killed Jack, but his Reflection instead? Set during the events of The Maleficent Seven, in Jack's point of view. Lots of JackxSabine. Rated T for language and possible violence in later chapters. Chapter three is up!
1. Chapter 1

_That fucking bitch._

Springheeled Jack was pissed. No, he was _furious_. The creature watched as his beheaded body was shoved over the edge by Billy-Ray Sanguine; it tumbled down the building and into the street below. The shrieks of pedestrians soon ripped through the air like nails on a chalkboard, reaching Jack's ears like music. However, he was too caught up in what had just happened to enjoy the high-pitched melody.

_That bitch just killed me._

Jack wasn't actually dead, of course. No, the real Jack was crouched behind a rooftop ledge, mere yards away from Sanguine and Tanith Low. Tanith's sword was still dyed red with his Reflection's blood, the Reflection he had made mere minutes before she had asked him to come with her on their roof-hopping expedition. Jack had assumed for quite a while that Low was planning on getting rid of him; that's why he had conjured up his look-alike in the first place. But assuming was different than actually being right about something. The initial shock of seeing his own body crumple to the cement like a doll shocked him, and the monster had almost fell backwards because of it. Then he realized how he had been betrayed, and rage bubbled in his chest until he almost couldn't bear it. Jack almost sprung out from his hiding place behind the sill of the adjacent rooftop to confront the couple, but stopped himself at the last moment.

_Lie low, Jack, _He tried to convince himself, _they don't know you're still alive. Keep that element of surprise handy._

Then, another thought crossed his mind: Sabine. If he was supposed to suffer this cruel fate, what was to happen to his darling Sabine? Surely Jack wasn't the only member of the team they were looking to shave off, and the young, innocent Sabine would be the perfect victim. Once again, the urge to rip Low and Sanguine to shreds rose in his chest, but he composed himself.

"Gotta get Sabine outta there," He muttered. Peeking over the edge, Jack saw Tanith and her Texan companion head away from the scene of the Reflection's murder and off into the night, most likely to meet the others by the entrance to the English Sanctuary.

Silently, Springheeled Jack rose. A hot pain flashed through his foot, and he cursed quietly, remembering bitterly how he got shot in the foot earlier. The monster ignored it to the best of his ability and leapt off the building top and onto the one beside it, then to the next, and the next one after that. Soon, the Terror of London was overlooking the English Sanctuary; he took the leap down, making him cringe as his bad foot smacked down on the cold, hard pavement. It took the creature only a few moments to find a relatively comfortable hiding place behind several stacked crates, though he had to add two more to the miniature fort to completely hide his large frame.

_I'll wait here until Sabine shows up, _He decided, _then I'll tell her what happened and we can get the hell out of here._

The thought of running away with the woman made Jack smile softly. Oh, how he loved her… At that moment he decided he would confess his love to Sabine, right after he would convince her to leave with him. Would they stay in London, or would they go someplace else? It didn't matter in Springheeled Jack's mind; he would be happy no matter where they were, so long as he could be by her side. Soon the creature's thoughts wandered to things like dating, finding a house, marriage: things he had never daydreamed about in his entire life before he met Sabine.

Springheeled had begun to think about baby names when the members of the Maleficent Seven began to show up. He cursed to himself; the creature had been counting on the possibility that Sabine would show up first. Jack's plan had been to slip away with her before the other members arrived, before they had a chance to do anything to her.

Jack's heart throbbed and his stomach churned with a sudden thought: _What if they already killed her?_

Feeling sick, Jack frantically looked around, trying to see if his love was anywhere in sight. A few moments later, the small blond appeared from behind the corner. Springheeled leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief; at least she was still alive. It took him a moment to realize his heart was pounding so hard it shook his body, so he took a few seconds to calm himself. He could hear voices, quiet discussion on how to get into the Sanctuary. The creature could feel the tone of the conversation suddenly flip on a dime, and though Jack couldn't hear much, one voice rung out clear above the others;

"Tanith please, help me, he'll kill me—"

Jack instantly sat up, almost tipping over the wooden crates. He peered over the side to see Sabine in the hands of bodyguard-like men, her mouth covered so she couldn't scream. Adrenaline rushed through the creature's veins and panic swept his brain as the petite woman was dragged into a van.

"No," Jack's voice was barely above a whisper, "Sabine."

Like a shadow, the Terror of London leapt onto a window sill of the building that was snuggled against the pile of crates. He had lost interest on the rest of the group entirely at this time; the focal point of all his energy was retrieving the girl he had fallen so hard for. The van began to drive off into the night, creeping along like a cat waiting to pounce. Jack was determined to get his Sabine back, no matter what the cost.

Doing what he was born to do best, Springheeled Jack sprung onto the London rooftops and after the van.


	2. Chapter 2

Following the van had been almost too easy, even with his injured foot. The vehicle had ended up stopping at this old warehouse, its windows boarded up with wooden planks and the brick walls chipped and dusty. Jack landed on the rooftop, silently as always, watching the van intently. The doors began to slide open, almost casually, and two bodyguards stepped out holding a young blond-haired beauty, bound and gagged.

"Sabine," Springheeled Jack whispered.

He watched as his crush was dragged into the entrance, her eyes panicked and pleading. A wave of protectiveness spread through Jack, and he was tempted to jump down and kill Sabine's kidnappers right then and there. Then the possibility of her getting hurt in the scuffle flashed through his mind, so he stayed put. Once the trio had entered the warehouse, Springheeled looked around the rooftop for a suitable place to enter the building. A vent, a hole, anything would do… To his disappointment, he found none.

Not quite knowing what else to do, the Terror of London hopped off the roof and approached the front door. Going in head-on wasn't Jack's style, but it was the only thing he could think of. He leaned his large frame against the door, and it groaned open grudgingly. Expecting bodyguards to pop out and attack him at any moment, the creature adjusted his top hat and entered the building.

"Dusty in 'ere," Jack muttered, resisting the urge to sneeze.

Cobwebs dotted the ceiling and cardboard boxes were beginning to mold quietly in the damp corners. The walls were once a lively green or blue, but had since turned into a rotting, faded grey. Surprisingly, there were no guards about that he could see. Springheeled could hear voices coming from one of the office rooms: the gruff, monotone voices of two or three men and the pleading voice of a young woman.

Like a hunting dog, Jack's focus zoomed in on the sound and he began to follow it. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to find; the warehouse was neither big nor particularly complex, even for a man as simple as Springheeled Jack. There were several offices that were sprinkled around in the hallway that the creature came upon, so he peered into each on until he found what he was looking for; his darling Sabine.

There she was, tied to an old, creaky chair that squat in the middle of a sad looking room. The gag had been removed from her mouth and there was a large cut that ran along her cheek. Four men were circling around Sabine hungrily, like a pack of wild coyotes closing in on their prey. The sight of it made Jack feel disgusted.

"Aw, can't we just play with her a bit? Until the boss gets back?"

"You heard what he said. We're supposed to leave her all for him."

"Yeah. He said he gon' mess her up _real_ good."

A chorus of low chuckling began to play as Sabine whimpered, "Let me go! Please, please let me go!"

Springheeled growled, moving away from the door frame. He had to get her out of there. The tall creature eyed the metal trash bin that lay banished at the end of the hall, stalking over to it silently. Then- _bam!_- Jack knocked it over as violently as he could; the sound ricocheted off the walls obnoxiously.

"What the fuck was that?"

"I dunno, go check it out dumbass."

"You can go; I'll stay here with the pretty little lady."

"Hell no, you should be the one to go!"

"Don't be a fucking pansy."

Eventually, two of the four guards reluctantly dragged themselves from Sabine's makeshift holding cell, guns drawn lazily. Jack grinned at how easy his targets were. Skillfully, the creature leapt from his position by the trash can and right onto the men. The distance was easily twenty feet, but the Terror of London covered it effortlessly, as if it were only a foot.

"What the hell—" The first guard didn't have any time to finish his sentence before Jack slashed his neck open with his claws.

The other one scrambled for his gun, which had been thrown across the floor when Springheeled had landed on him. Grinning, Jack grasped the flailing man's head and snapped it back at an odd angle, effectively breaking his neck. His head and shoulders slumped to the floor with a stiff _lump_. By this time, the other two guards had emerged from the room. Their eyes went wide as the saw Jack, and they pulled out their guns.

"You boys really think them bullets gon' stop me?" Springheeled spat, delighted for a bit of a challenge, "I'm much too quick fer that."

Like a bird taking flight, Jack launched himself off the ground, bullets spraying the floor he was just crouching on. He landed on one of the men, who yelped and tried to aim the gun at the creature's face. Grinning sadistically, Springheeled twisted the guard's wrist so that it was almost completely backwards; the victim crumpled to the ground with an agonizing scream. The other man fired multiple shots, but they flew to the walls due to this poor aim. Jack lashed out at him lazily with his claws, not really aiming. The creature ended up catching the guard's face, right in the eyes, and he blindly crumpled to the ground next to his partner.

"See?" The Terror of London mused, "That was almost too easy. You can do a bit better than that, dontcha think?" Not waiting for a response, he slashed both their throats in one swipe.

Normally, he would have taken more time to kill, but more people could be show up at any second and Sabine's life was at stake. Anxious, Jack trotted over to the room where Sabine was being held. Her chair was knocked over and she was lying face down on the floor, looking irritated; the beauty had obviously tried to escape, bless her little soul.

"Ya get an 'A+' fer effort, though," He muttered half to himself, gazing at her almost dreamily.

Sabine snapped her head to the side, looking at him in surprise, "Uh… Jack?"

"'Ello, luv."

"What are you doing here?"

"Gettin' you out," Jack leaned forward and cut the binding with one fingernail.

She rolled out from beneath the chair and stood up, "Thanks, I guess." Besides being a bit shaken up, and the cut across her cheek, Sabine seemed fine.

"No problem, deary. If you don't mind though, I suggest we get out before more of 'em show up," He jerked a thumb absentmindedly at the bodies that were sprawled out of the floor.

"I'm good with that."

And so the two exited the building as quickly as they could, being careful to not step on the four bodies on their way out.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Wow, four favorites and four followers already? I guess people like it so far! Thanks a bunch for all of your support guys, I really appreciate it! Tell me what you think of this chapter in your reviews, and tell me what you want to happen next! *loves hearing other people's opinions/ideas*

Love, Blue


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Well, here's chapter three, so enjoy! I found inspiration for a scene in this chapter in Tanzani Coil's story, **Under the Stars**; check it out!

* * *

It was impossible to tell what time it was as they exited the building. The night sky was clear and full of stars; it was romantic, in Jack's mind. The streets were devoid of any people, except for the mismatched couple that made their way across the street. Neither really spoke as they walked, until Springheeled asked if Sabine was alright.

"That's, like, the fourth time you've asked me since we got out of there," Sabine replied, her voice neutral, "I'm fine." As she said this however, her left leg seemed to tense up a bit.

"Then what's wrong with yer leg?"

The young woman now had a slight limp as she walked, "I think I just pulled a muscle when I was trying to get out of that chair. It's no big deal." Her limp became a bit more pronounced and she winced, more so out of annoyance than actual pain.

The pair could hear an engine in the distance, creeping towards their direction. Though Jack wasn't a particularly bright man, he figured that whoever was in that car was probably heading towards the warehouse for Sabine. "We should get out of here," He muttered.

"That would be a great idea," Sabine replied, limping towards the shadows of the buildings to remain as unnoticeable as possible.

Springheeled Jack sighed. They definitely wouldn't get very far with Sabine's pulled muscle, or whatever she said it was. Silently, the tall creature stepped towards the girl and before she knew what was happening, Sabine was lifted up into his arms.

"What?" Was the only word that came out of the blonds' mouth as Jack leapt onto the rooftop of the nearest building. The Terror of London bounded across the roof with ease, even with Sabine's added weight. By this time, Jack could see another van pulling up to the warehouse. The men got out, looking around for any pedestrians. They seemed to have found none, and the group entered the building silently.

"That's probably Chabon," Sabine muttered.

"Let's not wait and find out," Jack replied matter-of-factly.

He dashed off into the night, still holding the girl of his dreams in his arms. She was tense, though Springheeled wasn't sure if it was because he was holding her or because she was thirty feet above the cold, hard, unforgiving pavement of London. Probably both. The creature came to a stop on a rooftop that seemed a safe distance from the warehouse; it also had a spectacular view of the London skyline, which was definitely a bonus. Jack set Sabine down gently; once her feet touched the top of the building, she backed a few feet away from him, like a cautious doe, or an agitated cat.

"Why are you helping me?"

The question caught Jack by surprise. He shrugged before muttering quietly, "You and I both got ourselves screwed over by that Tanith girl. Figured we should be stickin' together, maybe get ourselves some revenge while we're at it."

Sabine narrowed her eyes, "Why should I trust you?"

"Sweetie, if I wanted you dead, you woulda been dead by now. That is somethin' I can guarantee."

She studied him for a moment, as if trying to decide if she should trust him. Her voice flat, Sabine said, "I don't want to get revenge; that's only going to get me killed. I want to have a fresh start, a brand new identity in a place where nobody knows who I am."

"Understandable."

The young woman turned to look at the view, thinking. Jack could barely hear her as she quietly marveled at the scenery, "This is amazing. I never knew London was this gorgeous."

"S'why I love it so much." Springheeled said proudly, adjusting his top hat.

Sabine glanced at the tall man, "It must be nice, living here."

"That it is, deary," Before Jack could stop himself, he added, "but it can get lonely sometimes."

The lights that illuminated London highlighted Sabine's frame like a halo. To Jack, she looked like an angel as she spoke, "Don't you have any friends? Family? "

"Nope. I ain't a people-person, and I'm the only one of my kind. Suppose you could say I'ma endangered species."

She nodded. "That's got to suck."

"You get used to it. Even the fact that everyone hates me has kinda become numb to me."

"Not everybody hates you."

A spark of hope ignited in Springheeled Jack's chest. He stood a little bit taller as he asked, "Really? Like who?"

"Well, Black Annis seems to fancy you quite a bit."

It felt like Sabine had taken his heart and ripped it into a million pieces, "Why does everyone try to set me up with Annis? I don't mean to be insultin' a lady, but she is just _not_ attractive at all."

Sabine tried not to chuckle, "I'm sure she has a wonderful character." Jack gave her a look, and she added, "Okay, maybe her personality isn't all that great."

The Terror of London shrugged, "She ain't my type." Again, his mouth betrayed him as he blurted out, "I've got my eyes on a completely different girl."

_Damn it Jack, why you gotta go running your mouth like that? _He felt like slapping himself for his stupidity, but resisted.

Sabine raised her eyebrow curiously, "Like who?"

"A girl I got no chance with. She's smart and pretty and talented," He babbled, "and every time I see her I feel like I'm floatin' on a cloud."

The blond smiled and Jack's heart soared once again. "That's cute."

He shrugged, "So what are you gonna do now?"

"I don't know, to be honest; I guess getting out of London would be the first thing. After that, I guess I'll find a place to settle down, find a job that doesn't involve scamming people, things like that."

"Sounds kinda boring."

"That's the idea, I guess. What about you?"

"Hide out for a bit," Jack replied, "Then go after Low and Sanguine. No chance in hell they gonna get away with messin' with Springheeled Jack."

Sabine grinned, "Sounds like a pretty good plan."

"Suppose so."

The woman turned to look out into the city again, and Jack had to suppress a dreamy sigh. The creature thought about declaring his feelings for her, right then and there, but couldn't find the courage to do it. What if she rejected him?

_At least I can have some closure then, if nothin' else._

The Terror of London stepped closer to Sabine, his mouth open; ready to tell her what he had wanted to tell her since her first set his eyes on her—

"Hey, do you think you know any places where I can spend the night?"

"Uh," Jack was caught off guard by the question, "Uh, yeah. I'm sure I can find ya a place."

"Thanks," Sabine replied, flashing a quick smile. "Oh, do you think we can take the streets this time? Heights really aren't my thing."

"Sure, no problem deary."

Just like that, Jack had lost his chance at possibly getting the girl of his dreams. He clenched his hands tightly, pissed off that he hadn't said something sooner. Maybe walking with Sabine through the streets of London would provide another chance…


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait guys! I hope you're all ready for the fourth and final chapter of _The Beauty and the Beast in London_! Tell me what you think of it in the comments; your thoughts, feels, your issues… You know I love hearing your opinions!

* * *

Unfortunately, the night had gone by without any romantic advancement. As Springheeled Jack settled down on the rooftop of the hotel, he sighed. This love thing was harder than he thought. He glanced out at the city that he loved almost as much as Sabine; the place was stunning at night, he had to admit. He allowed himself to relax, his coat acting as a blanket against the chilly night. This love stuff was harder than he thought.

_She's just a stupid girl, _he thought, _why are ya actin' so skittish around her?_

For the rest of the night, Jack failed to come up with a good explanation. As he slowly drifted off to sleep, the question kept nagging at him, like a persistent fly buzzing through the air. Springheeled Jack had dreams that night, a rarity for him. Though he couldn't remember details, the Terror of London remembered Sabine appearing in them. A few, blurry scenes were still in his mind; her smile, the feel of her body close to his. The words "I love you" slipping out of his mouth…

"Jack?"

The creature's eyes snapped open, bright sunlight pouring into the corners of his eyes. It was early in the morning, the sun just starting to rise above the busy city. Springheeled's mind was not drawn to the beauty of the sunrise; it was Sabine that stood just feet away from him.

"Mornin' darlin'. What're you doin' up 'ere?"

"I was wondering the same about you. I figured you had left by now," the woman replied.

The beast of London shrugged and mumbled something about not having anywhere else to be.

"I thought you wanted to get some revenge on Sanguine and Low. Wouldn't last night have been a good opportunity to get them?"

"Uh," Jack tried to think of an excuse, "Well, y'see, I figured it would be best to take it easy for a bit. With the lovebirds all on their toes 'cause of the God-Killers, they'll be expecting attacks left and right. Why should I make it harder on myself? Once things calm down some, and they think they're all in the clear, that's when I'll make my move."

Sabine nodded slowly, "Makes sense."

"'Course it does. I'm able to come up with a decent plan every now and again."

The young woman gave out a low chuckle. She glanced out at the London skyline, and then back at Jack, "I heard you talking in your sleep."

A rush of adrenaline flooded through Jack, his suddenly stomach queasy, "Oh really, now? An' what was I sayin'?"

The beauty gave an awkward shrugged, "I wasn't listening all that much. I heard you say my name, though."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," She avoided his gaze, suddenly very interested in the doorway that held the stairs that descended back into the hotel.

"What else did I say?"

Sabine took a single, tense step towards the door, as if wanting to get off the roof, "I told you I wasn't really listening, Jack."

Springheeled realized that the woman knew very well what he had said in his sleep. She knew he had feelings for her. _Just tell the girl that you love her, so it's out in the open. It's now or never; make your move before she's gone._

The Terror of London slowly rose to his feet, brushing of the dust and dirt that had accumulated on his coat during the night. He took a step towards the girl he loved, his long stride closing much of the distance between them. "Sabine?"

"I should be going," She said quickly, "Chabon might be here looking for me."

Before the woman could turn and walk away, Jack placed a gentle hand on her arm, "Darlin', if he comes, I'll knock his head inta the concrete for ya. All I want is a minute of yer time, and then you can run off to start a new life in Greece or Florida or Antarctica or wherever the hell your little heart desires."

Sabine paused for a moment, before saying, "Alright, Jack. What do you want?"

The creature sighed, "Look, Sabine, I've lived a long time, longer than a lotta people I know. During that time I've met a zillion people, vampires, and sorcerers. Out of every one I've met, none of 'em were as wonderful as you. You're gorgeous an' talented, an' just being able to lay my eyes on ya makes me the happiest creature in London. I've never met anyone as perfect as you."

Springheeled Jack's love had a blank stare on her face, as if she didn't know what emotion to express. Seeing he wasn't going to get an immediate response, Jack continued to babble;

"Every second I'm around you makes me feel more free than hoppin' from rooftop to rooftop. I know you don't love me, and who could blame you? I ain't nuthin' compared to the guys you could go for; Imma lonely, one-of-a-kind freak. " He stared down at his feet, "But I just wanted to let you know that you were a lil' ray of light in my dark, lonesome life. You always will be."

The beast of London, his hand still firmly placed on Sabine's arm, raised his eyes to look into hers. They were still somewhat expressionless, though a faint look of shock and what might have been disgust had began to form. He tilted his top hat back with one hand, so his face was a little more exposed, feeling the emptiness of unrequited love filling his heart.

Springheeled Jack slowly leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, "Goodbye, love," He muttered, "I hope you have a wonderful life."

Before Sabine could react, the Terror of London released his grip on her arm and sprung to the rooftop adjacent to the one they had been standing on. Springheeled Jack, the only one of his species, was out of the girl's sight within seconds.

* * *

So? Was the conclusion good, or too abrupt? Do you think he should have waited for her reaction? And, most importantly: sequel, or no sequel? Let me know!

Thank you guys so, so, so much for all of your support! Much love to all of you!


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